This novel is a classic example of Rebels-in-Dystopia Sci-Fi. It has multi-layered conflict, tightly related to the themes and to the emotions of sympathetic characters.

It starts out with an attractive opening: evocative setting description teasing us with an interesting character puzzle that keeps us reading through those tricky opening pages.

Then we are presented with a second character and a more puzzling enigma. This mystery becomes the conflict of the story, and while it isn’t enough to keep our attention riveted for the time the main character takes to ponder the question, we are already hooked on the premise, so on we go.

The inner conflict is between two extremes. One is the stilted social emotional and linguistic behaviour of the characters with varying degrees of cybernetic enhancement. This clashes with the inner human emotions struggling to emerge. The gradual development of the emotional abilities of the two main characters and the progress of their relationship draws us in and connects us to the rest of the story. 

One major theme is the struggle between advanced research and the losing of our humanity. At the highest level of government, the arguments on both sides are logical and persuasive, but in the end only prove that if you want to, you can justify any philosophy.

It all boils down to the question whether humanity should ever reach a point where “Principles were a luxury they could no longer afford.”

This story falls under my frequent complaint that there is just too much magic. The main characters are created with so much hi-tech enhancement that they are almost indestructible. This becomes a hindrance to the writing, because their ability to heal injuries rapidly leads the author to stretch out the battles to the point where they lose their emotional effect on us. The fights are powerful and described in minute detail, but after a while it is difficult to remember who has how many cracked ribs but is soldiering on in spite of the pain.

In general, the writing style is fluid and well edited. The precise nature of the science vocabulary is excellent; what sounds like complicated technobabble is actually understandable to the average reader.

The story ends by tidying up the personal conflicts but leaves philosophic clashes to be explored in the sequel.

A model example of its genre. A long read, but worth it.

Five stars.